Flash of Red February 2020 Week 2 (February 10-16)
I know we still have 3 more days of "Forms in Nature" but since this coming week includes our "flash of red", I thought I'd post a little early to get you thinking.
Last week our “assignment” took us down the path of the natural world. This week we’ll turn our attention to the man-made world. I’ve tried to include a number of scenarios that apply to almost any photographer in the videos and articles below. Some of them are specifically geared toward architecture; others have small portions that cover the nuances of photographing buildings. But I am sure you’ll be able to figure that out! Many of the informational pieces I found on the internet were not geared specifically toward black and white photography, but the basic composition and artistic principles will still be the same whether you’re shooting in color or black and white. Again, I’m confident you’ll be able to figure this out.
And here’s a little more inspiration for this week’s subject matter taken from Discovering Pictures Where You Live, chapter three in Extraordinary Everyday Photography by Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring.
There are a ton of photographic opportunities within any city or large town. Cities provide architectural details, contrasts of new and old, graphics, texture, and people. Even if you live in the middle of farmland, you can find things to photograph. Grain silos are very photographic structures with lots of shapes, as are old wooden barns, which are quickly disappearing and being replaced with more modern metal ones…If you’re still thinking “I live in a boring place,” get over it! Some areas just have a more quiet beauty that is up to you to discover through your eyes and camera."
The same could be said about the buildings that occupy your hometown. Whether it’s a busy metropolis, village or a typical suburban neighborhood, with a little bit of photographic “seeing” you can discover a building that offers a host of photographic subjects. Go big and shoot the whole city or village; go mid-range and shoot a particular building that catches your eye; go small and shoot the details you see every day (your door knob, your roof etc.). The choice is yours.
Tharp and Manwaring offer a list of things to look for which I shall adjust to architecture to give you a jumpstart:
Contrast- look for the combination of large/small or light/dark. This could be the appearance of a large building next to a small one or something as minimal as one wall in the light and another in the shadow.
Add the human element- Sometimes something as simple as a person walking in front of an abandoned house on a neighborhood street adds the needed element of a story to the shot or when photographing something massive like a high-rise will add a sense of scale to the picture. Keep your eyes open for shots where adding people will enhance the architecture.
Design elements- Patterns, shapes, textures, lines- architecture has plenty of them! Bricks, stones, peeling paint, door knobs, windows, doors, arches, stair cases and so on will add a visual element to your building shots that is very appealing to the eye. And that works for all kinds of buildings- not just the kinds we normally associate with architectural shots.
Shadows and reflections- also add a visual dynamic to your shot which adds drama or interest.
Humor- yes, buildings can be funny or make us laugh. This may not be your typical architectural shot, but it is most definitely funny! http://365project.org/olivetreeann/themes-and-comp/2013-04-21
Metaphors and concepts- Some buildings or their components appear to have a symbolic meaning or a significant history to them. Black and white photography is great for recording this. The genre alone gives us the sense of timelessness or nostalgia depending on the building or detail we shoot.
So… grab your camera, head out the door and have some fun with architecture!
If you are not an Ace member these steps will also work with the free on-line program put out by Ribbet (ribbet.com). Most of the other programs available also have the capability to process a picture with selective coloring. The wording might be a little different but you should be able to adjust the steps according to your program to accomplish the same result.
Did you enjoy discovering “Forms in Nature” last week? Why not post your favorite shot of the week below for others to see and tell us why it became your favorite.
Giving you a head start on next week's theme of architecture. Don't forget to post one of your Forms in Nature shots below to share with the others who are participating in Flash of Red February.
Thanks for al the useful info and guidance - helps to get the brain working in the right direction ! - a more difficult scenario for me this week - but we shall survive !!
@kali66 Thanks for the update Kali- I've removed it from the post. Sometimes the links work at first and then when I post them on 365 they don't. I'm not sure why, but it happens! I've put a new one in its place and it works.
@beryl Don't worry about trying to make your photos exactly like the examples you see here. Use them to help you see what's around you in an architectural way. I think you will do just fine!
@taffy It helps that you live in a very photographic city too!
@koalagardens I initially typed in the wrong date because I didn't have a calendar in front of me. The 365 calendar runs from Monday to Sunday unlike our American calendars which run from Sunday to Saturday. I'm constantly getting the dates mixed up because of that! Not to worry- if you posted a nature shot or architecture shot- either is fine!
@raineydaymi Yes, Rainey there is. Go to the page of the picture you want to post and click on the arrow below the picture. Then highlight the text by right-clicking on it. In the pull down menu click on "copy". Then come back to the discussion page and left click in the comment box. In the pull down menu select "paste". The info for your picture will fill in and when you click on the "post reply" box, it will fill in the picture. I took the liberty of filling it in for you. Nice shot!
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Giving you a head start on next week's theme of architecture. Don't forget to post one of your Forms in Nature shots below to share with the others who are participating in Flash of Red February.
@beryl Don't worry about trying to make your photos exactly like the examples you see here. Use them to help you see what's around you in an architectural way. I think you will do just fine!
@taffy It helps that you live in a very photographic city too!
I think there's another way to post my favorite. Please let me know.
I like the simplicity of this sage stem. Thank you for all the great articles. I've started a list of things to follow up on!
@raineydaymi Yes, Rainey there is. Go to the page of the picture you want to post and click on the arrow below the picture. Then highlight the text by right-clicking on it. In the pull down menu click on "copy". Then come back to the discussion page and left click in the comment box. In the pull down menu select "paste". The info for your picture will fill in and when you click on the "post reply" box, it will fill in the picture. I took the liberty of filling it in for you. Nice shot!